The mitral valve controls blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle of the heart, preventing blood from flowing backwards from the left ventricle into the left atrium so that it is instead forced through the aorta for distribution throughout the body. A properly functioning mitral valve opens and closes to enable blood flow in one direction. However, in some circumstances the mitral valve is unable to close properly, allowing blood to regurgitate back into the atrium. Such regurgitation can result in shortness of breath, fatigue, heart arrhythmias, and even heart failure.
Mitral valve regurgitation has several causes. Functional mitral valve regurgitation (FMR) is characterized by structurally normal mitral valve leaflets that are nevertheless unable to properly coapt with one another to close properly due to other structural deformations of surrounding heart structures. Other causes of mitral valve regurgitation are related to defects of the mitral valve leaflets, mitral valve annulus, or other mitral valve tissues. In some circumstances, mitral valve regurgitation is a result of infective endocarditis, blunt chest trauma, rheumatic fever, Marfan syndrome, carcinoid syndrome, or congenital defects to the structure of the heart. Other cardiac valves, in particular the tricuspid valve, can similarly fail to properly close, resulting in undesirable regurgitation.
Heart valve regurgitation is often treated by repairing the faulty valve through an interventional procedure. In some circumstances, adjacent leaflets of the faulty valve are grasped and brought together using an interventional clip. The interventional clip is intended to remain deployed at the repaired valve to promote better coaptation of the grasped leaflets and to thereby reduce regurgitant flow through the valve. Although such a procedure may be beneficial, residual regurgitation can sometimes remain. A need therefore exists for solutions which further improve cardiac valve repair and associated patient outcomes.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.